The Museums in Manila Worth Your Afternoon: Free Ones, Monday Ones and the Rest
From the free National Museum in Rizal Park to the Ayala Museum's gold and Olafur Eliasson at MCAD, here is where to go, what it costs, which day each one closes and how long it takes from Makati or BGC.
Photo: PhiliptheNumber1 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
The best museums in Manila are the National Museum complex in Rizal Park, which is free and open every day, the Ayala Museum and Yuchengco Museum in Makati, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) and The Mind Museum in BGC (Bonifacio Global City), MCAD for contemporary art, and the Intramuros museums for Spanish-era history. If you only have one free afternoon, start with the National Museum of Fine Arts: it costs nothing and holds the country's most famous painting.
Updated October 2026.
Quick guide: free, paid and closed days
Most private museums in Metro Manila close on Monday. The National Museum is the main exception, so it is the answer if you are looking for museums in Manila open on Monday.
| Museum | Area | Free or paid | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Museum of Fine Arts, Anthropology, Natural History | Rizal Park, Manila | Free | Open daily (select religious holidays aside) |
| Museo BSP (money museum) | Malate, Manila | Free | Fri to Sun and holidays |
| MCAD Manila | Malate, Manila | Free | Monday and holidays |
| Ayala Museum | Makati | Paid | Monday |
| Yuchengco Museum | Makati | Paid | Sunday and holidays |
| Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) | BGC | Paid | Monday |
| The Mind Museum | BGC | Paid | Monday |
| Casa Manila | Intramuros | Paid | Monday (weekdays are for booked groups) |
| San Agustin Museum | Intramuros | Paid | Open daily, closed at lunch |
| Fort Santiago | Intramuros | Paid | Open daily |
| Bahay Tsinoy | Intramuros | Paid | Hours vary, call ahead |
| Ateneo Art Gallery | Quezon City | Paid | Holidays (check Sunday hours) |
| Pinto Art Museum | Antipolo, Rizal | Paid | Monday |
The National Museum: free, and open every day
The National Museum of the Philippines runs three large buildings around Rizal Park, all free to enter. Since January 2025 the central complex has been open seven days a week, 9am to 6pm, with last entry at 5:30pm.
National Museum of Fine Arts. The old Legislative Building holds the national art collection, from colonial church art to modern painting. The anchor is Juan Luna's Spoliarium, a huge canvas that fills a whole wall. The Juvenal Sansó retrospective that opened on 26 August 2026 is reason enough for a return visit. Rizal Park, Manila · Free · Daily 9am to 6pm · Tip: go on a weekday morning, when the galleries are calmest.
National Museum of Anthropology. Across the plaza, this is where you see pre-colonial Philippines: burial jars, textiles and finds from shipwrecks. Pair it with Fine Arts and you have a full day. Rizal Park, Manila · Free · Daily 9am to 6pm.
National Museum of Natural History. The building is the draw: a central "Tree of Life" structure rises through a glass-roofed courtyard, with galleries on Philippine plants, animals and geology around it. Rizal Park, Manila · Free · Daily 9am to 6pm.
Museo BSP. A short ride south, the museum of the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank) tells the story of Philippine money, from barter and gold to today's banknotes. It is small, quiet and free, with walk-in entry through the BSP Hub on Roxas Boulevard. Roxas Boulevard, Malate · Free · Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4pm, per a September 2026 report; closed weekends and holidays · Good to know: earlier notices said Monday to Friday, so call before a Friday visit.
Getting there: from Makati, allow 30 to 60 minutes by car or Grab depending on traffic; from BGC, add another 15 to 30 minutes at peak hours.
Makati and BGC: museums close to home
Ayala Museum. The best single museum for understanding Philippine history in one visit. The gold collection, Gold of Ancestors, is exceptional, and the sixty hand-built history dioramas are better than they sound. Tickets are sold by timed slot. Greenbelt, Makati · Paid: ₱500 for all floors at the local rate, with cheaper single-floor tickets and ₱350 with a valid discount ID · Tuesday to Sunday, slots from 11am to 7pm; closed Monday · Tip: book online, and check the booking calendar first, since some dates are blocked out.
Yuchengco Museum. A compact museum inside RCBC Plaza, at the corner of Ayala and Gil Puyat Avenues, with rotating art and design shows. The World According to Jaime de Guzman is on view until December 2026. It is one of the few private museums open on Monday. Ayala Avenue, Makati · ₱ · Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed Sunday and holidays · Good to know: enter through the RCBC Plaza courtyard.
Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M). Now in BGC, The M shows contemporary and modern art in rotating exhibitions. Easy to combine with dinner on High Street. MK Tan Centre, 30th Street, BGC · Paid: general admission ₱300 booked online or ₱550 at the door; students ₱150 online; children 4 and under free · Tuesday to Friday 11am to 6pm, weekends 10am to 6pm, last entry 5:30pm; closed Monday · Tip: park at Two Parkade next door, and book online to save.
The Mind Museum. A hands-on science museum with more than 250 interactive exhibits. Built for children, but plenty of adults enjoy it. JY Campos Park, BGC · Paid: ₱625 for a three-hour adult ticket, ₱750 for an all-day pass · Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm; closed Monday · Skip if: you want quiet. Weekend slots are busy with families.
Intramuros: the old walled city
Intramuros sits next to Rizal Park, so it pairs well with the National Museum. Allow 45 to 75 minutes from Makati or BGC.
San Agustin Museum. The museum inside the convent of San Agustin Church, a World Heritage Site, holds four centuries of religious art in a cool stone cloister. Intramuros · ₱200 regular, ₱160 discounted · Daily, 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm · Good to know: it closes for lunch, and hours can change without notice.
Casa Manila. A recreated 19th-century house with furnished rooms that show how a wealthy family lived in Spanish Manila. Intramuros · ₱75 regular, ₱50 discounted · Open to walk-ins on Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm; on weekdays it is for booked groups of ten or more; closed Monday.
Fort Santiago. Not a museum in the strict sense, but the fort grounds include the shrine to national hero José Rizal, and it is one of the few Intramuros sites open every day. Intramuros · ₱75 regular, ₱50 discounted · Daily from 8am on weekdays and 6am on weekends; last entry 8pm on weekdays and 8:30pm on weekends · Tip: go late afternoon, when the heat drops.
Bahay Tsinoy. A museum of Chinese Filipino history in the Kaisa Heritage Center, with lifelike dioramas of life in old Manila. Anda corner Cabildo Streets, Intramuros · ₱ · Good to know: published hours differ from source to source, so call ahead before you go.
Contemporary art: MCAD, Ateneo and Pinto
MCAD Manila. The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde brings serious international shows to Manila. Olafur Eliasson's Your curious journey runs until 15 November 2026. Malate, Manila · Free · Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 2pm; closed Monday and holidays · Tip: book a timed entry on the museum's website. The Eliasson show uses flashing and coloured light, so take care if you are sensitive to light.
Ateneo Art Gallery. Considered the first museum of Philippine modern art, founded in 1960 with Fernando Zóbel's gift, now in a bright building on the Ateneo campus in Quezon City. Katipunan, Quezon City · Paid, small fee · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm; Sunday hours are also listed, so check before a Sunday trip · Good to know: bring a photo ID for the campus gate. Allow 45 to 90 minutes from Makati or BGC.
Pinto Art Museum. White Mediterranean-style buildings in a hillside garden, filled with Filipino contemporary art. It is a half-day trip, so pair it with lunch in Antipolo. Our Antipolo and Rizal guide has ideas. Antipolo, Rizal · ₱ · Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm; closed Monday · Allow about an hour or more from BGC or Ortigas, longer on weekends.
Before you go
- Mondays: most private museums close. Go to the National Museum, Yuchengco, Ateneo Art Gallery, Museo BSP, San Agustin Museum or Fort Santiago instead.
- Holidays: many museums close on public and religious holidays, including the Undas long weekend at the start of November. Check each museum's Facebook or Instagram the day before.
- Booking: the National Museum takes walk-ins for groups under 20; groups of 20 or more must book ahead on its website. Ayala Museum, The M, The Mind Museum and MCAD all sell or reserve timed slots online.
- Traffic: Rizal Park and Intramuros are on the other side of the city from Makati and BGC. Go in the morning, and plan one area per day.
- Bags and ID: some museums ask you to leave large backpacks at the door. Bring an ID for student, senior or PWD (person with disability) discounts.
For what is showing now, see art in Manila this season, our first-timer's guide to the galleries and the exhibitions page. More ideas live on our culture hub.
Questions people ask
Are there free museums in Manila?
Yes. The National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology and the National Museum of Natural History are free for all visitors. MCAD Manila and Museo BSP are also free.
Which museums in Manila are open on Monday?
The National Museum complex in Rizal Park is open every day, including Monday, from 9am to 6pm. In Makati, the Yuchengco Museum is open Monday to Saturday, and the Ateneo Art Gallery in Quezon City opens on Monday too. San Agustin Museum and Fort Santiago in Intramuros are also open daily.
What is the best art museum in Metro Manila?
For Filipino art across the centuries, the National Museum of Fine Arts is the most complete, and it is free. For contemporary art, MCAD Manila and The M in BGC run the strongest changing shows.
How long do you need at the National Museum?
Allow two to three hours for one building and a full day for all three. Start with Fine Arts, then add Anthropology or Natural History after lunch.
The National Museum is free and now open every day, Mondays included. We put together a table of Manila's museums: free or paid, which day each one closes and how long it takes to get there from Makati or BGC.
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